Removable closure mounting for discharge outlet for railway hopper cars



5 Sheets-.Sheet 1 E. DATH Filed Aug. 17, 1954 Oct. 14, 1958l INVENTOR. 660g@ E a/z, MM

Oct. 14, 1958 A f G; E. DATH A REMOVABLE cLosURE MOUNTING FOR DISCHARGE l OUTLET FOR RAILWAY HOPPER cARs Filed Aug. 17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 HVVENTUR. G60/gel ocr. 14, 195s E. DATH REMOVABLE CLOSURE MOUNTING FOR DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR RAILWAY HOPPER CARS Filed Aug. 17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENToR. 660 fg@ Da/z,

Oct. 14, 1958 G. E. DATH 2,855,864 l REMOVABLE CLOSURE MOUNTING FOR DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR RAILWAY HOPPER CARS Filed Aug. 17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

.IIIII oct. 14, 1958 G. E. BATH 2,855,864

REMOVABLE CLOSURE MOUNTING FOR DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR RAILWAY HOPPER CARS Filed Aug. V17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

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-REMOVABLE CLOSURE MOUNTING FOR DIS- SHARGE OUTLET FOR RAILWAY HOPPER George E. Dath, Mokena, Ill., assignor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 17, 1954, Serial No. 450,317

1 Claim. (Cl. 10S-308) This invention relates generally to discharge outlets for load containing hoppers and it has particular relation to the mounting of removable closures therefor. This invention constitutes an improvement over Withall application, Serial No. 338,227, led February 24, 1953, now Patent No. 2,751,861, issued June 26, 1956, and Dath application, Serial No. 340,367, filed March 4, 1953 now Patent No. 2,751,860, issued June 26, 1956.

In order to obtain maximum load carrying capacity for a hopper type car, the discharge outlet is positioned as close to the rails as operating clearances will permit. When a removable closure is provided for protecting the inner surface of the discharge chute of the hopper outlet and the under surface of the gate therefor from contamination by extraneous material, the keepers for the latch bar which holds the closure in operative position may project into the path of movement of unloading means intended to be inserted laterally of and underneath the chute of the discharge outlet.

Accordingly, among the objects of this invention are: To provide for shifting the keepers out of the path ot' the unloading means after the latch bar and closure have been removed; to rockably mount the keepers to the end that they can be swung out of the way; and to mount the keepers to swing in planes at right angles to each other to facilitate engagement with and disengagement of the ends of the latch bar.

Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

This invention is disclosed in the embodiment thereof shown in the acco-mpanying drawings and it comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplied in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of this invention, reference can be had to ythe following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a hopper outlet construction, shown detached from a hopper, in which the present invention is embodied; Y

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation showing the hop per outlet construction of Figure l applied -to a hopper of a railway car;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the hopper and outlet `of Figure 2 and showing certain details of construction; v

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken generally along the line 4 4 of Figure 3; 1

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 and showing the application of an unl-oading sock thereto;

, Figure 6 is a view in front elevation. at an enlarged scale of one of the keepers for holding the latch barin place;

Figure 7 is va top plan View of the keeper and its mounting .as shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a top plan View at an enlarged scale of the other keeper for thelatch bar and its mounting;

Figure 9 is a view in front elevation of the keeper shown in Figure 8; and y Figure 10 is a perspective View of an unloading sled which is employed for attachment to the hopper construction shown in the preceding figures.

Referring now particularly to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be observed that the reference character 10 designates, generally, a hopper which may be one of four hoppers provided on a railway car for carrying granular material such as sugar, hour, etc. The hopper 18 is formed by side walls 11 and 12, Figure 3, and end walls 13 and 14 which slope inwardly and downwardly. Together these walls form a rectangular discharge opening, shown generally at 15 in Figure 3, which is surrounded by an outlet frame that is shown generally at 16.

In Figure l of the drawings, the outlet frame 16, which is preferably of cast construction, is shown as comprising side members 17 and 18 and end members 19 and 2? whichare arranged to overlie and be secured to the respective walls 11, 12, 13 and 14. Runways 21 and 22 extending from the side members 17 and 18 provide supports for a slidable gate to be described hereinafter. Support angles 23 and 24 serve to interconnect the runways 21 and l22 to the car superstructure shown generally at 25 in Figure 2. A closure or shroud 25 encloses the space around the runways 21 and 22 and a closure plate 27 is employed for closing off the outer end.

The closure or shroud 26 and closure plate 27 are provided for enclosing a gate 31 which is slidably mounted on the side members 17 and 18 of the outlet frame 16. They serve to prevent contamination of the gate 31 when it has been moved to the open position to permit the discharge of lading from the hopper 18.

As shown more clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings, the gate 31 is movable onto the runways 21 and 22 through a slot 32 in the end member 19 of the frame 16. OnY the underside of the gate 31 rack teeth 33 are formed and they cooperate with pinions 34 which `are nonrotatably mounted on a shaft 35 which is journaled at its ends on projections from the side members 17 and 18. At one end of the shaft 35, as shown in Figure 1, there is an operating head 36 which is arranged to receive a removable bar for Vrotating it and thereby the shaft 35 to-rotate the pinions 34 and move the gate 31 to the open or closed position, depending upon the direction of rotation. The gate 31 is held in the closed position by means of a lug 37 that projects from the operating head 36 and a pawl 38 which is rockably mounted at 39 on the frame 16. A locking dog 40 oooperates with the paWl 38 to hold itin the locked posinon.

On the underside of the side member 18 of the frame 16 is a lflange 43 which is provided with a groove 44 that opens inwardly toward the path of the ow of lading through the discharge opening 15. A sanitary closure plate 45 is provided and a portion of it interts with the groove 44, while the opposite side underlies a flange 47 which projects outwardly from the lower portion of the side member 17. As will hereinafter appear, provision is made for clamping the sanitary closure plate 45 in operative position in the groove 44 and against theunloading sock 53vwhich is mounted on a sled, shown generally at i54. The sledw54, as here shown, is arranged to extend across rails 55 on which the car provided with the hoppernlnis located. iIt will be noted that the unloadingsck 53y is mounted abovek a boxv56` tobwhieh a pneumatic unloading conduit 57 is connected. k,A similar box 58 is carried by the sled 54 for cooperation with the hopper on the other side of the car. A pneumatic unloading conduit 59 extends into the box 58 for removing the contents thereof. i j

The unloading sled 54 is ofk conventional constructien and is of a form well knowntethosevskilled in the arti.Y When the rim 52 is applied to the underside of the ange 48 with the stud b olts 50 projecting-therethrlough and is clamped into position by nuts threadedl thereon, the gate 31; can be openeduto permit thelarding in the hopper lil tov fall through the unloading sock 53 into thenbox 56. There, as is well known, the lading: is removed by pneumatic means. AThe lowerniost parts of the outlet frame 16 must be spaced suflicientlyabove the rails 54 to accommodate the lateral insertion o f the unloading sled 54. At the same time, itis desirable n, toposition the outlet frame 16 as close to the rails 55 as approved clearances will permit in order to provide maximum load carrying capacity for the car. In accordance with this invention, provision is madeA for detachably mounting the sanitary closure plate L45 in operative position by means which will not interfere with the lateral insertion ofthe unloading sled 54. Y,

As shown more clearly in Figure 4 ofthe drawings,

the sanitary closure plate 45 is provided with downwardly projecting ribs which are arranged to engage a central portion 63 of a latch bar or shaft, shown generally at 64, which is eccentric to end portions 65 and 66. A square head 67 extending from the end portion 65 is provided to receive a VWrench for rotating the latch bar or shaft 64 to lock or unlock the sanitary closure plate 45, as the case may be. The latch bar or shaft 64 -is arranged to be rocked by an arm 68, Figures 1 and 2, which extends radially therefrom. The arm 68 is held in locked position by a pin 68' which extends through the arm 68 and through apertured keepers 68" depending from the underside of the sanitary closure plate 45.

The end portions 65 and 66 of the latch bar or shaft 64 loosely iit in openings 69 and 70 that are provided in the lower portions of keepers 71and 72 which are located on the opposite sides of, the chute portion 49 of the outlet frame 16 and on side members 17 uandj18 thereof. As shown more clearly in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, the keeper 72 is rockably mounted on a bolt 73 which extends )through a plate V74 that is welded to the flange 43 above the groove 44 on the otherl side. Thus the keeperv72 is Vsvvingable about the bolt 73 parallelto the side member 18 so that it does not project below the flange l43 and thus does not interfere with the lateral insertion of the unloading sled 54. A stop 75 welded to the sidenlmember 1S lcooperates with the keeper 72 to hold it in its4 retracted position. l A

The mounting of the` keeper y71 is, shown inrmore detail in Figures 6 and 7 of thedravyings.` In order to facilitate removal of the latch bar o r shaft 64, the keeper 71 is arrangedto swing in a vertical planejat right angles tothe plane ingwhich the keeper 72,swings. For this purpose, the keeper 71 is provided with j a transversely extending fpinY 76 at itseupperend which -is rockably mounted Vin bearings 77 that are welded to a projection 47 from the flange 47.

. YIn,describing the operation of the outlet construction disclosed,A herein, it will be assumed that theA sanitary closure plate 45 is in operative position, as illustrated in Figure 2 `of the drawings. lIn order to provide for the discharge of lading fromv thel hopper 10, the sanitary closure plate 45 is removed by` withdrawing the pinv 68, and grasping the arm 68 to rock the latch bar or shaft 4 6.4,. Siae ac ssnfa1-portion .63 of., menen. `bar. or, shaft 64 is eccentric with respect to the end portions 65 and 66, this rotation will move the central portion 63 away from the ribs 62 and permit the sanitary closure plate 45 to be lowered from. its operative position shown in Figure 4. Then the keeper 71 can be swung to the position vshownin Figure 5 away from the end portion 65 and lateh bar 6r shaft Y64 then can be Withdrawn from the keeper 72. Next, the keeper 72 is swung to the retracted position shown in Figure 5.

The unloading sled 54 now can be moved laterally of the hopper 10 into unloading position and the rini 52 of the unloading sock 53 can be secured, as described, to the underside of the hnge 48 as shown in Figure 5.

The lading will startte flow intothe box 56 of the unloading sled 54 as s'o'n 's the Agate 31 is moved to the open position. This is accomplished by swinging the lockingrdog 40 out of the pathAof the pawl 38.. and swinging thelatter out ofthepath ofthe lug 37. Then a bar is inserted .inthe operating head 36 and the shaft 35 is rotated. `The pinions 3 4 are rotated conjointly therewith to move the gate 31 into the closure or shroud 26 along the runways 21 and 22.

The lading is withdrawn pneumatically from the .box 56, as will be understood. KLWhen the discharge of lading has been completed, thegate 31 is closed and locked in the manner described. The rim V52 of the unloading sock 53 is detached from the flange 48 and the unloading sled 54 is withdrawn. It is assumed, of course, that die other hopper has been unloaded by this time. Thenthe sani.- tary closurelplate 45 is applied, the keepers 71 and 72 are swung to their operative positions shown in AFigure 5j and the latch bar or shaft 64 is reapplied thereto and operated to lock the sanitary closure plate 45 in operative position.

Since certain changes can be made in the foregoing construction and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawingsand described hereinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

In combination with a railway hopper car having. a discharge opening on the underside and a horizontally slidable gate for closing saidvdisch'arge opening, a discharge chtite beneath said gate, a ange on one side of said chute having na groove opening inwardly, a lateral outwardly extending vllange on the other side of 'said chute, a removable closure plate in said groove underlying said lateral outwardly extending flange, a pair 'of keepers one of which is depending from each of the opposite sides of said chute and said keepers having a portion projecting below the underside of said chute, the downwardly projecting portion of said keepers having aligned cylindrical openings, a latch bar extending underneath said closure plate and having its ends journaled in said aligned cylindrical openings, eccentric closure plate 'elevating means rotatable with said latch bar between said ends and bearing against the underside of said closure plate, pivot means rotatably mounting the keeper on the ange having said groove to swing in a plane perpendicula'rly transversely to said groove, and pivot means rotatably mounting the other keeper which is on the lateral ange yto swing in ,fa perpendicular plane away from or toward said lateral ange.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES lPA'rNrs 1,316,713 Guay sept. 23, 1919 2,599,527 Badger June "1o, 11952 2,645,006 Dorey July 2,1, 1953 2,665,161 'stealing Jen. 5, 1954 

